Trop picks: Flowers of the universe

Sekar Jagad Batik from Garut, West Java, on the Left and Sekar Jagad Batik from Surakarta, Central Java, on the Right. Source: "Batik: Design, Style & History" and "The Dancing Peacock: Colours and Motifs of Priangan Batik."

Here's another symbol of love that is not the ubiquitous red heart: a Batik pattern from Java, Indonesia. Called Sekar Jagad or "Flowers of the Universe," it is worn as part of a marriage ceremony. It is said to express the heartfelt joy of a boy or girl at having found his or her soulmate.

Sources:

Fiona Kerlogue in Batik: Design, Style & History, 2004.